The businessman Dário Silva, of the Café do Teatro Group, admits that he may have to lay off almost 30 employees by the end of the year, if the tight rules on establishments at night remain.
Saying that he has a monthly loss of around 200 thousand euros, in the sum of the losses of the 20 establishments that today make up the universe of the Café do Teatro Group, Dário Silva appeals to the political power and the police authorities to address the concerns of businessmen grappling with bills and taxes to pay, but without tourists’ income and with awkward alcohol consumption rules at night.
The businessman has a meeting scheduled with the vice president of the Regional Government, Pedro Calado, and with the regional secretary of Economy, Rui Barreto, next week, and hopes to be able to convince them of the need to find a solution that allows the establishments, especially at night, relieve the restrictions that currently prevent alcohol consumption abroad, if there is no terrace.
“We need to work for a living, I ask members of the Government to come to the field and see for themselves that it is better to drink on the street than inside the bars. Even the police agree and don’t understand, but they have to comply with the law, ”says Dário Silva to JM.
“This is unfair, we are not asking for subsidies, we are asking for work, that’s all. Only then will we be able to withstand the bars and all the collaborators ”, he adds.
“So they will kill the Old Town and all that trade”
The Café do Teatro Group has a strong night side, managing eight bars and more than 20 employees. But the health crisis and the new rules for the operation of night spaces are choking the group’s accounts.
“Nowadays you can’t work at night, we always have bonuses (three permanent police officers) either in the Old Town, from 9 pm, or in Rua das Fontes, until closing,” says Dário Silva, who manages the Café do Teatro Group .
However, according to JM, “in Rua das Fontes agents close the street on one side and the other and our customers are unable to reach the bar. They send people away from the street, etc. ”.
Then, “we live hours of panic on Fridays and Saturdays. We had to rent extra terraces, we opened the top part of Venda Velha, we put labels on the cups to identify (investment of 600 euros per week), we are even praised by the police itself, we take all the precautions, but then a graduate passes by and closes the establishments ”.
“So they will kill the Old Zone and all that trade there, which is unfortunately experiencing great difficulties. Most restaurants are closed or for sale. They say they have to close because they receive pressure from the government. And then the economy, what are we going to live on? How are we going to pay our bills? ”, He asks.